Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, has received federal approval to be sold without a prescription at pharmacies throughout the United States.
The nasal spray form of Narcan, made by Maryland-based company Emergent BioSolutions, was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 as a prescription drug. Its active ingredient, naloxone, is a compound that binds to opioid receptors in the brain and reverses the potentially fatal effects of opioid intoxication, such as coma and respiratory depression.
